


beginning of the run

by crystallizedcherry



Series: From South, with Hope [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-10
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-20 02:09:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4769624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystallizedcherry/pseuds/crystallizedcherry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That holiday proved to Australia that she, the mysterious woman he had thought she was, obviously paid attention to him - also responded to what he showed to her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	beginning of the run

In a big, wooden house they would spent the next two days. No one in the charge of anything since Vietnam had some of her people helping with the cleaning, and the foods would come by order from the nearby house.

Despite the hospitality and the tranquilizing, peaceful village and warm blanket also the quiet night where he could listen to the crickets and frogs, and smell the remaining of petrichor, however, he grabbed no desire to sleep.

Australia had used to villages, in fact, even the most rural ones located near his deserted western territory of the continent. This one was filled by whole different vegetation and sound and atmosphere, but in the end, both were still village. He had lots, too, means that he should consider the place as home.

Couldn't put himself to sleep even though he had shut his eyes hard in his own 'home' might be a bad omen—the thought of one day with less sleep was awful, sometimes.

Then the need of fresh air gushed in his body, suddenly. He shifted to his feet, face filled with horror when he realized he almost stomped on China's foot.

Everyone agreed on sleeping on a mat at the very huge living room even though Vietnam had offered them three rooms with bunk beds to sleep on. _It will give us the real experience of indoor camping_ , someone Australia hadn't noticed who had said so.

Boys at the right wing and the girls was at the left, sleeping soundlessly and in the more proper position than the opposite ones even though they threw a small pillow party at nine before. Australia carefully avoided the mistake by walking only by tiptoeing.

There was a gap between Malaysia and Philippines. He noticed the emptiness by the corner of his eyes.

* * *

"What are you doing at 2 am outside?"

Vietnam stood up, Gramineae between her index finger and thumb. She rolled it, and inhaled the scent, eyes fixed on the yellow bulb glowing dimly on the wall, "The same question is for you."

Australia chuckled. "Only have one minute of nap. So hard to sleep, don't know why. Not even caused by mosquitos, by the way."

Vietnam didn't respond.

"And I didn't realize when you left the room."

"I got out from the door in the kitchen."

"... What?"

"I chase after someone." Vietnam threw her gaze to him and continued, "Someone who tried to steal something from the kitchen."

"A culprit?! Why didn't you call me or at least, China, who may be still able to hit him with his kung fu moves—"

"—I don't bring _tiger balm_ or pair relief patch."

It took seconds for him to absorb the joke and by the time of it, she turned her back on him and there was a sound of soft chuckle.

He laughed hard.

"—Ha. 'Kay, okay, we are in big trouble if he heard us. I could have helped you, just telling. Even though I don't have my boomerang in my hand right now."

She walked, passing him, not spare any glances, "It was actually a cat. I forgot to put the fish into the fridge."

"Hey," Australia reached for her, but she was swift enough for him to catch her shoulder, "you said it was 'someone'."

Out of his expectation, she leaned on the low fence separating the terrace with the grassy land  before it, and he took no time placing himself at her right.

"I can be tricky too, Koala."

He blinked.

_Koala_.

He smiled when he repeated the word within his mind.

Concealing his still-obvious smile-nearly-turn-into-smirk, also didn't want to be seen as a fool, he spoke more, "Tricky? But you can't trick your sleep disorder too, I guess?"

"No, I don't have insomnia."

"And the reason why you still here is?"

"Nothing. I just enjoy the night and it has been too long since the last time I visited this village."

"You enjoy the darkness and as far as you can see, you can only spot tiny light of torch of the far away house?"

"And you enjoy accompanying a woman who love to do so."

He ran his hand through his hair frustratedly, his inner self laughing hard for his own self for losing a game of conversation to a petite woman. "You tricky. I admit it."

"And you admire." Vietnam walked past him, pushing the old and rusty door mildly.

He bet, she was smirking a little.

* * *

Indonesia and Philippines were baking the corn. China helped Kamboja to bring beverages to the back yard, Malaysia made sure everyone had applied certain lotion she brought as she told in loud voice this morning that mosquitos would be their main enemy in this rainy season in a place intensely crowded by trees lile this.

And Australia didn't bother to check what everyone was doing when he was done preparing another ingredients Indonesia and Philippines needed for brunch when he spotted Vietnam was talking with villagers with hoes supported by their shoulders.

His Vietnamese was a little bit rusty, he had not practiced the skill anymore since the last time he heard the sounds of bullets had hit targets of war, all he knew from the conversation was about the product of farming these people could afford to the government—but by the time he arrived behind her back, they were leaving and waving their hands also offering her an assuring smile, and she turned around. Almost jumped when their eyes met at that close gap and he was smiling broadly.

"Mornin', pretty!"

She should have realized earlier that he, with England as the self-proclaimed adult gentleman had been the one who raised him, was so loud and clear about his mind when he voiced it, mostly related to gentleness to woman. And she had been inside his zona, not a boundary separating her from the status of usual acquaintance to the close companion he wanted to keep forever. Resulting to her having to be ready being embarrassed in public by his words—it was the consequence.

But when red shades appeared on her sun-graces cheeks along with the _ba-thump-ba-thump_ reaction inside her ribcage, wasn't it a sign of something special happening too?

"Y-you—you have done with things Thailand told you, right?"

"Of course! The obedient Jett is here, you can rely on me."

"So, Jett, would you—"

Both of his corner of lips curved upwards. She covered her mouth with fingers, eyes glancing at everything but him.

"Doesn't matter. I love it. Just call me Jett, if you would like to, Lady Lien."

Everyone was having fun, shouting and laughing, but only silence was occuring between them. The way eyes spoke was more better thab words did, in certain times, and they found theirs. The conclusion of quiet language was his smile; and her small nod also a shrug.

"Better we help them," her shoulder brushed past his, "I will go to Thailand and you, please help China."

* * *

"Yours," Australia's talking with Singapore was stopped when a plate with corn was served from aside.

He received with a smile plastered on his face, "Thanks," and he ended with a whisper, "Lien."

She only nodded.

But it was enough.

He had managed to climb the wall, and now it seemed like she had removed the traps and invisible bombs planted down there, a sign of accepting.

Hd didn't mind falling, as long as it was for the inside of her heart.

* * *

Miles apart, they sometimes had Skype chat, with or without face-to-face interaction.

The longest period without communication was one month, when he was away to Europe for a series of visit to some countries, accompanying some of his important people. And that time she was on a lot of summit, from in ASEAN region or with her neighbors and China. They made up with an hour of phone call, with Vietnam being a good ear and he told all about his journey.

Though later he regretted for dominating the talk and hadn't given her more chance, he thought it was fine for her when she phoned him next morning,

"Don't forget to eat properly. Sorry if I couldn't reply your chat for days later, I will be busy for a week. Goodbye, Jett."

Nothing wrong for being fall to one's heart, _non_?

* * *

It was a night of southern hemisphere's fall after a tiring trip from Adelaide to Sydney, when he received a phone call he didn't bother himself to look at the name on the screen. He was just about to throw loud warning but the soothing _hello_ was breaking his intention,

"I will go to Canberra tomorrow for three days of meeting with your people. And a bonus of two days."

* * *

He could not make it to picking her up in the airport, and the rough schedule was a hindrance why he could not meet her in the first two days.

He sat proudly at the back of the room with hand crossed on chest, watching her delivering the closing speech of the serial of meetings. Then he shook her hand formally in the end before the photo session, but only her the person who listened to his whisper—he stole the chance in the crowd— _you are with me after this._

Vietnam told her country's representatives that she had bussinesses to discussed _tête-à-tête_ with the host nation.

"It's okay, but don't forget to come back to hotel in time."

The two nations exchanged glance but they agreed to nod altogether, "I will drive her home. Thank you for your permission."

* * *

She didn't understand that he would choose a small apartment in this such a big city full of facilities along the fact that he could afford everything he wanted if it went to housing matter.

"Welcome to my simple palace, Pretty," he bowed a little like a waiter in the most luxury restaurants could do, when he opened the door for her. "And the answer for your question is, yeah, I'm not a type who are willing to stay in a certain place for a long time."

"You love adventure. As simpe as that, right?" she settled on the leather couch, bag on her right and eyes traveled around the room. Too simple even for a man's standard, and she hardly spot any photos or clothes around, even something to eat and drink.

"Beside that, I have lots of stuff to do. Big cities need me in a lot of occassion," he loosened his tie and threw it to the top of drawer near the TV. "I have the similar ones in each states. And the bonus point is, almost all of my next-door neighbors don't know that they are in the same building with their rep."

Vietnam raised from the position. She took off the heels that had been a pair of annoying complementer for every formal conferences, in which she had love-hate relationship with. A pair of slippers she found next to the couch, without permission. Because ... who was she for him, like, again?

"Have anything in fridge?" she stopped beside him.

"Ha, thank God I happened to grab some on the nearby shop on my way back home last night," he led her to the next room, and they passed his room whose door was open, surprisingly, it was so messy—but she could smell the perfect lemon air freshener emanating from the room.

(And she liked it. Though she used the sandalwood ones in her house back then in Ho Chi Minh City.)

"This, this, and this," Australia showed her the eggs, sausages, and random vegetables. "If you don't like it, we can order pizza. Or anything you want to sink your teeth into."

"I can handle this," Vietnam took everything he had showed, placed it on the counter and she rolled up her sleeves.

She untied her hair and in no time tied it up higher again—but he didn't miss the moment when she shook her head with the tress flying before his face. In awe he was for a moment, suddenly being thrown into reality when he heard the chopping sound in swift and skillful way.

"Hey—you cook? You are the guest—"

"And you are the host. You must allow me do things to please you."

He found nothing as the reason why he should run away from his position now.

"Go sit back. I will finish this in no time," she tiptoed to open the wall cupboard, "Where is the bowl and another kitchen set?"

"In front of your feet," he nudged his chin, and pulled a chair behind her.

"I am hungry too, actually," he heard sound of his (private) chef setting cooking instruments on the counter.

"You don't have to force yourself to cook."

"But I love it."

He stared at her back. So slim and thin and she was not that curvy type in magazines he usually took a look to on his spare times. She was rather petite but he, cough, admitted that her chest was a little bit above the average, yet she was so clever to conceal it with not-so-revealing clothes.

He cleared his throat. "You will make a good wife."

Their eyes met. By the time she turned her head, he chuckled for the red shades of her cheeks.

He tuned in songs he set in random sequence. It didn't need for more than four songs to finish to compare with her time of preparing the meal. He was on the train of his thought when she came with two plates of omelette.

"Here. Sorry for only able to make you this."

"This is amazing!" he impatiently planted his fork on the sliced part, took a bite of it. "Told you, you are an amazing cook! Tasty and yummy—you should do this often."

"Mm."

He blinked fast several times. "Hey," so soft for his common, "Your men are leaving today, right?"

"At 4 PM. But they are fine even if I can't made it to the airport to say goodbye."

"Then why should you go back to your hotel, all alone while you can have anything here without payment? And a pay-free travel guide is here!"

She was like frozen with fork still in the air and her mouth was forced into a thin line, something could be not-so-good sign.

He quickly read the situation and corrected, knowing her nature, her pure Asian culture common, and, yeah, calculating how long it had been for them to know each other's feeling and intention that was rather short for anyone's scale. "This apartment has two rooms, for your info, and it was clean—"

Out of his expectation, she smiled reassuringly, "Good, then."

He watched her whole time she was eating. She might not aware of that, but it was better actually.

"What do you think of ..." he swept anything remain on the plate with his last piece of meal, "... two nations who are loving each other even though the countries' relation is not that intense?"

He heard her sighed, and she decided to halt her eating for awhile and leaned. Her eyes fixed on his, and later the wall, his eyes, for several times it was a loop he couldn't be patient of.

"Since first we are strange creatures. We live for a long time but it is not impossible for us to disappear in mysterious way in the future. We have human bodies but weirdly ... we stay like we were made to be magical creatures; don't age ... but we grow. We still have feeling and we don't have superpower since our people often control us with their decisions and what we can and are going to do is being obedient ...."

"So?"

"You know my answer, Jett."

Suddenly he felt like being couraged and he was sure of his previously uncertan thought, "It is normal for us to have feelings we can't control to some of us," he ran his fingers on his hair. He mimicked her position. "Arthur said the similar thing to me not too long ago when we saw Alfred and Natalya suspiciously escaped together. That old man sure had lot of experience in this."

"I'm old too, you know. Far from you," one of her lips' corner was askew a bit for a slight moment. "You can ask China who Au Lac is."

"Maaan, I'm in a relationship with a much older woman then?" he laughed out loud, "If you didn't say anything about it sure I wouldn't realize. You are still pretty like a teenager in my eyes."

She grunted and threw away her gaze, "... Cheesy."

Her answer was his another laughter.

"Anyway ... so it is true, huh?"

"What?"

"America."

"Oh, yes. You know it, too?"

"I didn't know the truth, but I have been witnessing some actions from both that are like, hmm, proving that they are together."

His knee bumped with hers, "You ... are, hm, fine?"

She blinked, "What?"

"You—you have a thing with America, right?"

"Who says so?" her eyebrows were knitted,

"Rumor has surfaced. Though not everyone talked about it obviously." Australia shrugged.

"I have such a complicated relationship with him in war period, not to mention my unstable emotion at that time. Sometimes I saw him as a savior for peace in my land ... sometimes I thought that he was the true villain behind the chaos. But now ... I respect him. He is bright and he is good, but, yes, I only do respect him like what I do to another nations."

He nodded, shut his eyes for a while. "Nice thought." He smiled and the clarity in his eyes was like the sky ... she was longing for. Too busy doing domestic and overseas issues trapped her in a lot of place but actually everything was same: she had spent too much time indoor.

"Want more?" she offered.

"Oh, thank you but I think it's enough. We have to get your belongings from your hotel, right? I will treat you in my favorite restaurant on our way back to this place later. How?"

"I'm in."

* * *

When she emerged from the bathroom and the car key had been in his palm already, he raised his eyebrows, "Have I told you that you are pretty?"

"... Shut up."

He ruffled her bangs and chuckled. "Mmm," he stared at her even without reciprocation. "May I ... kiss you?"

She blushed suddenly, with fingers put her hair to the back of her ear. "Don't be such in a rush ...."

"Ooooh, oohkaay~" he shook his head without any ability to conceal his smile. "It is okay if you can't do it now. I will wait. So, let's go!"

But he was stopped on his track when he felt a tug in his sleeve.

"I mean ..." she didn't want to look at him directly, "I'm not a rough type but it doesn't mean that I can't do—"

"Ha ha ha ha! Do you think I am? Well, in case if you misremember, I am little brother of England, anyway."

He got his finger on her chin and turned her face toward his. He cut off the gap with eyes still wide open yet hers was shut awkwardly. She was taken aback when she felt his breath fanning her lips, she balled a fist on his shirt.

It was only a short peck, but he could sense acceptance.

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: yes, how many times i say that i have a headcanon where vietnam suffered a kind of bipolarity back in her war period already? thank you but i don’t remember. teehee. thank you for reading, tho, and whoever gave me kudos in the previous work of the series, double thank you! xoxo


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